A Nine-Tailed Uzumaki
by a7xfanatic1195
Summary: After failing to bring back Sasuke, Naruto leaves the village to train, to become strong. In the canon story, absolutely nothing happened to him. But what if Akatsuki had caught up with him, and attempted to extract the Nine Tails? Unfortunately for both parties, this doesn't go as planned. Now Naruto is back, with... is that a kid? Familial!Team Seven Strong!Mature!Naruto NaruHina
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Uzumaki Naruto was floating in a sea of blackness. The warm, comforting darkness that surrounded him caressed his body, preventing any of his injuries from interfering with his thoughts. Unfortunately for him, that is exactly what he had been hoping his unconsciousness would do. At least he would be able to escape from the guilt weighing on his mind.

"**YOU SUPID GAKI! YOU NEARLY GOT US BOTH KILLED!" **

And get out of the lecture his nine-tailed tenant was giving him.

"**I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU, AND WOULD GLADLY LET YOU DIE UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE EFFECTED! IF YOU DIE, THEN I DIE YOU STUPID BAKA!"**

Naruto sighed, praying for someone to wake him up sometime soon. The fox had been going on about 'baka this, ningen that' ever since he had lost consciousness. It was really starting to grate on his nerves.

"**WHY WOULD LET THE UCHIHA BRAT PUT US IN THIS STATE?! WHY DIDN'T YOU GO FOR THE KILL?!" **The Kyuubi roared, growing annoyed with his container simply remaining silent.

"What was I supposed to do?" Naruto asked, his voice flat and hollow. Even the Kyuubi was taken aback by how depressed he sounded. "I could never do something like that to Sasuke-niisan. Even if I died, I could never kill someone precious to me. But it doesn't matter now, because now my precious people won't care about me anymore. I failed, and Sakura-neechan will hate me for it." Naruto's voice never wavered from his monotone, showing just how broken he was.

"**Pathetic ningen." **The Kyuubi snorted softly, attempting to cover up the fact that Naruto's state actually affected him. **"If you had simply remained distant to the Uchiha brat and the pink-haired banshee, then none of this would have happened."**

Naruto simply looked over at the Kyuubi, his normally brilliant blue eyes now dull and cloudy. "Niisan and neechan are the only reason that my life is worth living, along with Hinata-chan and Kakashi-sensei. They are the only ones who have seen the true me, and accepted me. Without them, I would be just like Gaara." There was a slight tone of indignation in his voice, stemming from the fact that the Kyuubi was belittling the attachments he had. "Now, I won't even have those. Niisan severed his bonds with me with a Chidori, neechan will never forgive me for breaking my promise, and Hinata-chan and Kakashi-sensei will think I'm pathetic!" Naruto's voice gradually became filled with rage, until he was screaming his frustration into the dark.

The Kyuubi was stunned by the depths of his host's feelings, completely caught off guard by Naruto's admissions. The thousand-year-old fox thought back to something he hadn't thought about in hundreds of years; the promise he made to his tou-san. Now, he saw a way to fulfill the promise he has neglected for nearly a millennia, in the form of the blonde thirteen-year-old in front of him.

"**Then get stronger." **The Kyuubi replied gruffly. Naruto snapped his head towards the floating cage so fast Kyuubi was sure he had gotten whiplash. **"If you aren't strong enough to get the Uchiha back, then get stronger. If you truly want to change the minds of those pathetically narrow-minded and hateful villagers, then get stronger. If you want to claim the pale-eyed girl as your mate," **Naruto turned red at the implication, and began sputtering out denials, **"then get stronger." **The Kyuubi finished, ignoring the blonde's protests at Hinata being referred to as his mate. **"I have watched you grow kit, and I believe you are different from the other humans I have met. Instead of giving into hatred for being despised, ignored, and abused by those who do not understand you, you have taken their hatred and attempted to change it into respect and admiration, and not once did you stop protecting them. My tou-san once told me that in order to change the world, we need to follow this mantra; **_**you shall not hate, you shall forgive. You shall not attack, you shall defend. You shall not pity, you shall understand. Only by following these teaching can you change the world my children.**_**" **The Kyuubi sighed, a mournful look on his face. **"We attempted to follow our tou-san's mantra, myself and the other Tailed Beasts, but we eventually gave into the hatred that the humans displayed. Now, it is time I remembered the purpose my tou-san set for us; to change the world, and end the hatred that lurks in every human's heart."**

Naruto was absolutely flabbergasted. His saucer-sized eyes were nearly bulging out of his sockets, and his body was completely slack. It was a good thing he was floating in the representation of his unconscious mind, otherwise he would have fallen and bashed his head on whatever floor he had been standing on. The Kyuubi chuckled at the young Uzumaki's shocked expression, before continuing his explanation.

"**I will allow to use my power, and help you gain more, if you promise me one thing; don't ever give up who you are. Continue striving for greatness kit, and one day you will change the world." **The Kyuubi said softly, almost tenderly, smiling at Naruto. It wasn't a vicious smirk, or a bloodthirsty grin, but a real smile.

Naruto finally recovered his voice, before asking one simple question. "Why? Why me? Why are you going to help me all of a sudden? How come you only realized that I only want to help people now? Who's your tou-san?"

Well, maybe more than one question.

"**QUIET!" **The Kyuubi bellowed. The teen instantly shut his mouth with an audible 'clop', and the Kyuubi glared at him through the cage bars. **"Cease your incessant questioning. I will explain all to you in due time, but now…" **The Kyuubi trailed off, as the mindscape began to shift. Naruto felt gravity overtake him, and soon he and the Kyuubi were falling downwards. **"…I believe it is time you woke up. People have been waiting for you." **

Naurto barely registered the Kyuubi's parting words. The sewer room that represented the _Hakke no Fuin Shiki_ came into view, and he screamed as he hurtled towards the stone floor. His body hit the ground with a loud thud, and his world shifted.

00000

Completely unaware of the drama unfolding inside the unconscious blonde's mind, several people were waiting anxiously for his return to consciousness. All of them were gathered in his hospital room, and had been waiting several days for Senju Tsunade, the Gondaime Hokage and the foremost medical ninja in the world, to end the hyperactive knucklehead's enforced coma.

Including Tsunade herself were the remnants of Team Seven; Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi. Both were positioned to Naruto's right, knowing that to be his dominant side, praying for him to wake up soon. Both had decided to drop the 'act' they kept up in public around each other (which had been devised by Naruto to keep them safe from those who hated him for his tenant), and were letting their concern show through. Sakura wanted her otouto to wake up and annoy her again, and Kakashi wanted the boy he treated like a son to awaken and brighten his life again. They had already lost one member of their little family, and couldn't stand the thought of losing another.

To the left of Naruto's bed were Hyuuga Hinata and Nara Shikamaru. Hinata was concerned for the boy she loved, having no idea that he returned her feelings, and Shikamaru wanted to make sure the last member of his retrieval team would pull through. The Nara felt responsible for Naruto's condition, and since the other members of the team had already pulled through he could focus solely on Naruto.

Off to the side were Tsuande and her apprentice, Kato Shizune, whom were administering another dose of a counter sedative. They had already administered some already, but something was keeping Naruto from waking up.

"Hokage-sama, why isn't Naruto waking up?" Umino Iruka, Naruto's academy teacher and surrogate older brother, asked nervously. The scared chuunin was pacing near the foot of Naruto's cot, clearly worried for the blonde prankster.

"Grr, I don't know!" Tsuande snapped, thumping her fist against the IV organizer in frustration. The busty blonde underestimated her strength, as always, and left a sizable dent in the machine's paneling. "I've already administered two extra-strength doses, but something is keeping him from waking up. His delta brain waves suggest that he's dreaming, but not even an Uzumaki should be able to sleep through this!" A vein pulsed in Tsuande's forehead, indicating her fury over Naruto's refusal to awaken.

"Won't that hurt him Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked worriedly. The silver-haired man blamed himself for Naruto's condition, having focused more on Sasuke than his other students/children, and believed that if he had taught Naruto more then he wouldn't be in such a terrible state. "I mean, two doses is pushing it, but with them both being extra-strength-"

"Are you questioning my medical expertise Hatake?" Tsunade asked him ominously.

"No, no! I'm just worried is all." Kakashi waved his hands in front of his face, attempting to placate the blonde. He had no doubt that, in her irrational state over Naruto's inability to wake up, he could easily end up with severe injuries from her monstrous strength.

"Good." Tsunade huffed. "And I understand your concern, but Naruto will be just fine. The gaki's body is more resilient than anyone I've ever seen, so he should be alright." Tsunade examined several other monitors, discerning facts from the readouts that would appear to be gibberish to anyone else.

"Naruto-kun is strong." Everyone's eyes focused on the source of the small voice that spoke up, noting that the comment came from none other than Hinata. "He never gives up, so I know he'll be okay."

Sakura was taken aback by the absolute confidence in Hinata's statement, but gave a small smile to the indigo-haired girl since she was the first to recover from the novelty of hearing Hinata speak without a stutter. "Of course he will. He's too stubborn and stupid to do anything else." Sakura said affectionately, looking at the sleeping blonde before her.

Kakashi smiled at the pinkette, the crinkling of his only visible eye the only indication that he was. "Of course. He's going to be Hokage one day; I'd expect nothing less from our future leader."

Shikamaru and Hinata looked stunned. Neither had seen this side of Team Seven, the familial side, and so their confidence in Naruto came as an absolute shock. They looked at each other, making sure they had both seen the rabid, Naruto-hating, Sasuke fangirl and lazy, apathetic sensei who played favorites actually show concern and affection for their 'dobe' of a teammate.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath. Everyone heard him however, and he quickly found himself pinned by Sakura's glare.

"What was that Shikamaru?" The kunoichi growled. "What's so troublesome about me caring for my little Naruto-baka?" She prepared to march around the cot and deliver a 'friendly bop' to the lazy genius, but was stopped by her sensei's outstretched arm.

"Relax Sakura." Kakashi said calmy, lazily gazing at the other two genin in the room. "No one knows how we act in private." The copy-nin reminded her upon sensing her confusion, before giving her a smile after letting her think it over for a moment. "Of course, our first-rate acting didn't exactly give us the best impression of a functioning team, let alone one that thinks of each other as a family."

Sakura smiled at Kakashi, while Hinata and now Iruka remained completely confused. Shikamaru, however, had a small frown on his face as he tried to piece together the statements of the conscious members of Team Seven, while Tsunade and Shizune continued to examine their instruments in order to find out what was keeping Naruto from waking up.

Suddenly, Naruto's heart monitor began rapidly beeping, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. The blonde's face contorted into a rictus of pain, causing Tsunade and Shizune to spring into action.

"Shizune! Grab the morphine, 10 cc's!" Tsunade barked, pushing Hinata and Shikamaru aside to reach Naruto. Shizune nodded, and scrambled out of the room to comply with her master's orders. Tusnade's palms began to glow a soft green, and she began scanning Naruto's body for the source of his pain.

"Hokage-sama, what's wrong?!" Shikamaru shouted, taking his mind off of his earlier ponderings for a moment. "Is Naruto okay?!"

The question was quickly echoed by Sakura, Hinata, Kakashi, and Iruka in quick succession. Tsunade ignored them all, continuing to move her hands up and down Naruto's body. They stopped for a moment over his stomach, briefly flashing brighter for a moment, before continuing on. They came to rest on his forehead, and Tsunade's face was completely stoic as she halted her diagnostic jutsu.

The Gondaime quickly turned to the others in the room, including Shizune, who had returned with the requested item, and everyone held their breath at her grim visage. However, everyone let out a breath of relief as a small smile broke out across Tsunade's face.

"He's fine. The counter-sedatives finally took effect, and his brain was finally brought out of it's comatose state. He'll be waking up soon." She informed them. Hinata and Sakura both had large smiles on their faces, with the former having a slight blush across her cheeks. Shikamaru crossed his arms and huffed out a 'troublesome' under his breath, but the smirk on his lips betrayed his true feelings. Iruka was grinning widely along with Shizune.

Tsunade was pleased by everyone's reactions to the news that her favorite gaki would be okay. The blonde truly cared for him like the son she never had, or her annoying little grandson, and having others who truly cared warmed her heart. However, she shifted back into doctor mode as soon as everyone finished processing the news.

"As nice as it is that the gaki will be up and complaining soon, I'm afraid that none of you will get to talk with him for very long. His body is still weak from being in a medically-induced coma for nearly a week, so he won't be awake for long. I advise you all to say what you need to and make it brief once he wakes up."

A chorus of disgruntled and stoic 'Hai's' rang in the small room, quickly punctuated by a soft groan. Everyone spun on their heels, eyes widening as they identified the origins of the groan. In a flash, Sakura and Kakashi were back in their original positions, hoping to be the first things that greeted Naruto when his eyes opened.

00000

Naruto groaned softly as he finally returned to the land of the living, cursing his method of awakening in his head. The damn fox just had to go and get all emotional and motivational on him, then drop him hundreds of feet to hard concrete. He refused to open his eyes however, as the first thing he felt as the last of his unconsciousness fled was pain. He knew he was in the hospital, based on the fact that his body was wrapped in something and his body was pressed into something that was infinitely more comfortable than the rocky outcropping he passed out on. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Otouto-kun?" A soft voice called out, very close to his right side.

His eyes shot open, and he immediately turned to the source of the noise. He had been hoping, praying that he would have more time to come up with something to say to his nee-chan and sensei on why he failed back to bring nii-san back, but it appeared that that was not the case. Because standing at his bedside were the two people he definitely didn't want to see, not until he had time to prepare.

Vibrant blue met stunning green and deep gray eyes (or eye, in Kakashi's case), and tears began to well up. Despite the assurances of Tsunade and Shizune, the two most promising doctors ever, Kakashi and Sakura couldn't shake the horror and worry that had plagued them when they had seen the state Sasuke had put Naruto in. Seeing his eyes finally open was a supreme relief to them both.

"Ne-Nee-cha-chan?" Naruto croaked out, his throat dry from nearly a week without water. Sakura grinned at the label, and tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into a tight hug. She was supporting most of his weight, but she didn't care; the little ball of sunshine she had adopted as her little brother was going to be okay.

Likewise, Kakashi was overjoyed that Naruto was on his way to recovery. The guilt of favoring Sasuke and neglecting his other students training, despite viewing and treating them as surrogate children, weighted heavily on his mind. This was exacerbated by the fact that Sasuke had used a technique that Kakashi gave to him, thinking of him as his own son, to nearly kill Naruto.

Naruto was completely and utterly lost. He was absolutely certain that Sakura and Kakashi would hate him for failing to bring back Sasuke, but instead they were crying over him (or tearing up, in Kakashi's case), and were relieved that he was okay. He hastily grabbed Sakura by the upper arms, and shoved her away from him.

Sakura, his rejection of the embrace he always cherished with his nee-chan catching by her by surprise, stumbled back into Kakashi. Only his reflexes as an elite shinobi prevented them from both falling to the ground. They both looked up at Naruto in shock and sadness, the former coming from his expression. He was propped up on his left arm, his right held across his body as if he was afraid they would hurt him.

His rejection also stunned everyone else in the room. Tsunade and Shizune already knew about the kind of relationship Team Seven held, having learned about it from Naruto when he went to retrieve Tsuande to become Hokage, and were surprised he would reject comforting from the girl he loved like a sister, whom he would do anything for. Iruka, Shikamaru, and Hinata were utterly shocked that he would reject and embrace from his crush, though they were beginning to suspect that they had a different relationship if what they called each other was anything to go by.

"O-Otouto-kun, why?" Sakura choked out, her heart filling with worry and sadness. "If this is about Sasuke-kun, I'm so sorry!" Sakura sobbed. "I should never have made you promise that otouto! I was being stupid and selfish, and you had to fight your niisan because of that dumb promise!" Sakura wailed, convinced that her dear little brother hated her for making him fight his precious older brother, the person he loved and looked up to more than anyone else.

"N-No nee-chan, it's not your fault!" Naruto cried out, his voice raspy from a lack of hydration. He was too late though; Sakura had already bolted for the door. In her haste to escape, she failed to hear Naruto's response. Throwing open the door, she sped through doorway to get away from the family member she failed. "NEE-CHAN!" Naruto called out, trying to halt her retreat, but to no avail. She was gone.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto begged, looking desperately at his father-figure, hoping for his help in this situation.

Kakashi turned his stunned eyes from the door, having watched his surrogate daughter sprint from the room in tears, to the little blonde on the bed. His heart was already cracking, and seeing the desperation on Naruto's face broke it in two. He nodded, understanding the pleading in the blonde's eyes, and 'poofed' away.

Naruto simply let the tears flow, the overwhelming sadness he had been feeling finally washing over him. When he had been talking to the Kyuubi, the dam holding it back had been strong. He felt there was no way in hell that Sakura or Kakashi would ever forgive him for failing to bring back Sasuke, thus destroying their little family. When he had awoken, the shock of having them still concerned for him and willing to call him family had been too much, and he had pushed Sakura away. Now, with _him_ being the cause for her tears, he was terrified that the forgiveness they had was gone, and he would lose his family. His most precious people.

Everyone else simply watched the drama unfold, unwilling or unable to get involved. Tsunade, Shizune, and surprisingly Hinata, were all aware that despite the comfort they wanted to give Naruto, only Sakura would be able to alleviate his pain. Iruka had stepped forward, ready to enfold Naruto in a comforting embrace, but was held back by Shikamaru's _Kagemane no Jutsu_. The Nara simply found it too troublesome to intervene, but he also figured the same thing that the three females already had. Unfortunately for him, Iruka actually spoke out in protest.

"Shikamaru, let me go!" Iruka growled. His soft spot for his favorite former student didn't tolerate anyone that cause Naruto pain or stopped someone from relieving it, and in his eyes, Shikamaru was guilty of the second. Feeling his own head shake in response, Iruka grit his teeth and focused his chakra. Breaking free of the jutsu with surprising ease, Iruka stepped forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto…"

Iruka was cut off as the blonde whirled around, the touch finally breaking him out of his trance, with surprised etched all over his features. "Iruka-sensei?!" He cried hoarsely, before noticing the rest of the people in the room. Tsunade and Shizune, he knew (having personally told them), already knew about the façade his team put up to protect them from those who hated him, but the other two did not. "Hinata-chan?! Shikamaru?!" Naruto cried out their names as he noticed who was now privy to the secret of Team Seven. His surprise and horror were cut short however, as a fist slammed down onto the top of his skull.

Hinata turned scarlet, having easily heard Naruto's affectionate honorific attached to her name, while at the same time her face twisted into and expression of horror as Tsunade clocked him over the head.

Shikamaru merely grunted and stuck his pinky in his ear after the blonde finished shouting. "Troublesome. You really shouldn't yell Naruto, this is a hospital." The lazy chuunin drawled, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Although, now that I think about it, this secret should have been obvious. Every other team became closer as we trained and went on missions, while you guys stayed the same. I guess it was just too troublesome to admit that you guys became family huh?" Shikamaru hypothesized.

Naruto sniffed, wiping away some of his tears. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Hinata. He shook his head at Shikamaru's question, hesitating when he, Hinata, and Iruka looked at him for an answer. Ignoring them for a minute, he looked over at Tsunade, who had approached on the right side in order to silence his yelling, and gave a tired smile that was obviously force.

"Heya baachan. Don't you know that you're not supposed to hit sick people?" Naruto asked rhetorically, a small hint of anger in his voice.

The blonde Hokage snorted, staring down her fellow blonde. "Didn't you hear? Fool's never get sick." She chuckled a bit as Naruto's expression changed from puzzlement to indignation. She reached forward and ruffled his hair. "Good to see you up gaki."

Naruto smiled at her, before his expression quickly went back to depression as he remembered what happened with Sasuke then Sakura. Putting that in the back of his mind, since there was absolutely nothing he could do about it, he focused on the other people who had been with him on the failed retrieval mission.

"Baachan, is everyone else okay? Ya' know, Chouji, Neji, Kiba, and Bushy Brows?" Naruto asked, desperate to know what had become of his comrades and feeling immensely guilty for not thinking of them sooner.

Said woman sighed, knowing that this was coming. "Yes, everyone is going to be fine, although it was a very close call with Chouji and Neji. You, however, got the worst of it by far." Tsunade's face grew dark as she recalled the state Naruto was in when Kakashi brought him in. "That bastard of an Uchiha nearly killed you; multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, severe burns, a gaping hole in your shoulder, I swear gaki if it weren't for the fact that the wound was cauterize by the electricity you would have…." Tsunade trailed off, finally realizing what affect her rant was having on the blonde.

Naruto felt terrible. All the things that had been done to him had been done by Sasuke, his idol, his rival, his niisan. The one person he looked up to more than anyone else, the first person to understand him, and a member of the Team Seven family, had come within an inch of killing him. Speaking of family…

A 'poof' heralded the arrival of Kakashi, apparently back from wherever Sakura had led him. Said girl was being held bridal style in his arms, her eyes puffy and red from crying. Kakashi also looked visibly upset, and it was obvious that he had shed a few tears as well. Naruto looked over at them, tears welling up in his eyes as Kakashi gently set Sakura on her feet.

"Nee-chan…" Naruto whimpered, instantly drawing Sakura's attention. The pinkette looked at the pleading expression on his face, and quickly rushed over to him. She wrapped one of her arms around his neck, the other lacing itself in his golden spikes. Naruto instantly felt the warmth of his nee-chan's embrace wash over him, and he finally let himself go. He buried his face in her shoulder and cried out all of the hurt that he had over Sasuke's betrayal, and all of the relief he had over still having his family. Kakashi came over and joined them, wrapping his arms around the shoulders of his students.

Team Seven was still a family. An incomplete family, but a family nevertheless.

00000

"How are you feeling gaki?"

Naruto bolted upright at the sound of a masculine voice coming from the window. Turning to his right, he saw his on-again off-again teacher, author of the renowned _Icha Icha _series, and self-proclaimed super pervert, the Sannin Jiraiya.

"Ero-sennin? What're you doing here?" Naruto asked. Ever since the hyperactive blonde was reunited with (what remained) his adopted family/team, he was in a much better mood.

_Flashback_

"_Of course we don't hate you otouto-kun." Sakura reassured him, with Kakashi nodding vehemently over her shoulder. They were alone in the room, so they could speak freely. "You tried your hardest to bring Sasuke-kun back to us, back to me. I should never have asked you to do it because I was too weak to." Sakura pulled back from Naruto, sniffling as she recalled seeing his broken form slung over Kakashi's back. "Because of that-" _

"_It's fine neechan!" Naruto interrupted, hoping to avoid another bout of crying from the guilt-stricken girl. "I would have promised anyway! You wouldn't be happy without niisan, so I had to be a good otouto and bring him back!" Naruto puffed his chest out proudly, causing Sakura to giggle and Kakashi to chuckle._

"_I know." Sakura smiled softly at him. "You are the best otouto anyone could ask for." The pinkette said fondly. She knew how lucky she was to have gotten to know the real Naruto, instead of the idiot mask he put up, and she thanked Kami every chance she got. No matter how bad things got, he was always there for her and Sasuke. The last thought caused her to frown slightly, her resolve to return the favor stronger than ever now. "But next time, I'm gonna be just as strong, so we can get your niisan back together."_

_Naruto smiled. Not his goofy grin, or a smile to hide the pain he felt, but a true smile, and it lit up the room. Kakashi had a permanent smile on his face, judging from his eye, as he watched two of the three he viewed as children interact._

"_Naruto," Kakashi spoke up, with both the blonde and pinkette turning to him. "we will get Sasuke back." The jonin reassured. "We'll find him, and when we get him back, I'll stop playing favorites." He vowed, wanting to correct his mistakes. "I should never have abandon you guys to train him, even if you guys said it was okay. Maybe if I hadn't-"_

"_Nuh-uh Kakashi-sensei, not you too." Naruto wagged his finger, a cross between a pout and a stern expression on his face. "No more looking back on stuff! If you start doing it again, me and neechan will have to take away your books again!" _

_Kakashi immediately put his hand to his supply pouch where his Icha-Icha was, while Naruto and Sakura grinned evilly. "No! Don't take away the precious! Kakashi will be a good boy, Kakashi promises!" he wailed, bowing his head to the ground._

_He was interrupted from his begging by a snort, as Sakura tried to contain her laughter. The jonin's head shot up, and the pleading expression on it caused the genin to burst into hysterics. _

"_I guess I deserved that." Kakashi chuckled, joining on his student's laughter._

_Flashback End_

Naruto was interrupted from his musings by the voice of his teacher, who was staring at him in annoyance.

"Stop calling me that gaki! Show some respect!" Jiraiya shouted.

"I'll stop calling you that when you stop being a pervert!" Naruto retorted.

"I already told you! I'm _not _a pervert!" Jiraiya protested, before a lecherous grin spread across his face. "I'm a super pervert!" He declared proudly, thumbing his chest.

"…." Naruto stared at the Sannin, his eyebrow twitching. "What do you want Ero-sennin?" The blonde deadpanned, causing the self-proclaimed super pervert to face-fault.

"Kids these days have no respect for their elders!" Jiraiya whined, twin waterfalls running down his face. Naruto simply snorted in response, and the Sannin decided it was time to stop messing around. "In all seriousness, I want to train you. Full time." Jiraiya offered, and Naruto's eyes widened at the prospect. "But you have to do one thing for me first."

"I'm not using my Oiroke no Jutsu again."

Jiraiya face-faulted again. "Stupid gaki, that's not what I was going to ask!" Jiraiya screamed, smacking Naruto across the head. Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya managed to ignore the un-flattering curses that his prospective student was muttering, continuing with his earlier line of thought. "No, I want you to forget about Sasuke. He's lost to you, and nothing you will ever do can get him to come back. Only a fool would continue to chase after him. So if I'm going to train you, then you need to give up on him."

Naruto's eyes widened to the size of saucers, before turning into a menacing scowl. The blonde didn't notice, but his teacher did; his eyes flashed red for a moment before shifting back to their normal blue.

"Then I'm a fool." Naruto stated bluntly, surprising the Sannin. "And I'll remain a fool for the rest of my life if I have to. I never give up on my friends, especially if it's Sasuke-niisan. Besides, I promised Sakura-neechan that I would get her boyfriend back, and I never go back on my word. That's my nindo, and I would rather die than abandoned it." The blonde spoke with such conviction, such strength of will, Jiraiya could have sworn he was looking at the ghost of his former student.

"Well then, I guess we better make you strong enough to survive as a fool eh?" The Sannin joked, enjoying the look of shock that spread across his new apprentices face. "We'll be leaving tomorrow. We'll be gone for almost three years, so pack only the important stuff."

"Three years?!" Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head. He could learn a lot of stuff during that time! But as the excitement wore off, he became worried about Sakura and Kakashi. "But what about-"

"Relax gaki, I already cleared it with Kakashi." Jiraiya assured him. "And that pink-haired banshee you call a sister has just been accepted as Tsuande-hime's apprentice, so she'll be training hard too." Jiraiya chuckled, before an evil grin spread across his face. Naruto quailed at the look his master was giving him. "You two are in for hell, you know that right? Tsunade and I will break you, build you back up, then break you again. It will be the toughest thing you've ever done, and it will be up to you if you succeed at the end or not."

Naruto simply matched the grin with one of his own, impressing the Sannin. "I'm ready for anything Ero-sennin. I'll take whatever you throw at me and give it right back twice as hard. I'll never quit, and I don't run. I will beat your stupid training, then I'll be that much closer to becoming Hokage!" Naruto shouted the last part, jumping out of his bed and glaring up at his new master.

"That's the spirit gaki." Jiraiya smirked. The Sannin knew that if his new student was anything like his father, then by the time he was through with him, he'd be an absolute monster. "Well, I've gotta go take care of some research before we head out. Don't forget, the front gates at seven tomorrow. Be there, or I'm leaving your butt behind."

With that last bit of information, the Toad Sage jumped out the window. Naruto watched him go for a moment, before ripping off the bandages that covered him from head to toe. Hurriedly grabbing his ragged clothes from the night stand, he rushed into the bathroom. Giving a nod to his completely healed reflection, despite the dull ache in his chest, he quickly shucked his hospital gown and pulled on the remains of his orange jacket and pants. Clothed in the remains of his previous outfit, he dashed to the window, before leaping off to his apartment.

00000

"Alright Ero-sennin, let's get moving!" The exuberant teen shouted, before being slapped across the back of the head.

"Be quiet gaki." Jiraiya growled, rubbing his throbbing temples. "I've got one hell of a hangover, in addition to a sleepless night." The Sannin paused, then giggled perversely. "Worth it."

"Whatever. Baka ero-sennin." Naruto muttered, shouldering the pack that fell of when he was smacked. He had the basics inside; food, clothes, his money, all of his ninja tools, and the picture of Team Seven. It depressed him that he didn't get to say goodbye to anyone, but at least Tsunade-baachan would tell them where he was. Heaving a sigh, he looked up at his new sensei, only to find him smirking and looking at something behind Naruto.

"Otouto-baka, you didn't think you could leave without saying goodbye did you?" Sakura called out, her tone mocking yet loving.

Naruto whirled around, and his eyes widened as he spotted nearly everyone he knew there. Sakura and Kakashi were there, leading the way for everyone else. Just behind them were Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku, with bright but sad smiles on their faces.

Behind them was Team 8, with Kiba wrapped in an upper body cast from his injuries. Hinata was blushing lightly, but had small smile on her face. Shino, stoic as ever, showed no outward emotion although the buzzing of his Kikai bugs showed that he was happy. Kurenai was walking right behind Hinata, a small smile on her face.

Next was Team 9, although Neji was stuck in a wheelchair and Lee was hobbling on crutches. Tenten was pushing Neji, a very slight blush on her face that quickly disappeared as she examined their sensei. Gai was assisting his clone, while spouting nonsense about their 'Flames of Youth' being too bright to dampen.

Last but not least was Team 10, with a surprisingly skinny Chouji leading the way. Based on the amount of chips he was scarfing at an inhuman speed, that wouldn't last long. Ino was looking at him in slight disgust and mild fascination, while Shikamaru simply seemed half asleep. Asuma had a small smile on his face, and for once the bearded jonin wasn't smoking.

Naruto grinned, happy tears in his eyes as all of his precious people came to wish him goodbye. None of them were long goodbyes, but they were all meaningful. A tearful hug with Ayame and Sakura; a fatherly talk with Kakashi; some back slapping and praising from Chouji, Kiba, Lee, and surprisingly Neji; a scolding for leaving her best friend for three years from Ino; well-wishes from all the jonin sensei (and a spandex suit from Guy, which Kakashi promptly burned). Finally, having tried to hide at the back, Hinata came forward, fiddling with a small jar in her hands.

"Hey Hinata." Naruto said softly, a true smile still etched on his face. The indigo-haired girl felt her insides melt, and a fierce heat rushed to her face. Red as a tomato, she thrust the container into Naruto's face while bowing her head. Naruto cocked his head to the side, closing his eyes in puzzlement while inwardly grinning at her shy behavior. "What's this?" He asked dumbly, hoping to coax her into talking.

"I-I-It's s-some of m-my m-med-medical cr-cream th-that I m-made." She stammered out, cursing her stutter. She waited for a response for nearly a full minute, before finally deciding to look at his face. What she saw made her blush intensify, and nearly made her faint.

Naruto was looking at her with his vivid blue eyes, a small smile spreading across his face. Said eyes sparkled with happiness and admiration, with just a hint of mischief. "Thank you Hinata-chan." Naruto said sincerely, taking the cream out of her hands. A slight blush adorned his cheeks when their hands touched, but it went completely unnoticed by Hinata.

Said Hyuuga had completely frozen up, her mind nearly shutting down. Her skin went completely white as her love-struck mind tried to process what her not-so-little crush had said. The instant the words registered, nearly a full fifteen seconds after they were spoken, her face quickly competed with the rising sun for brightness. She attempt to stammer out a response, before Naruto's blue eyes became too much for her, and she resorted to her ultimate defense mechanism.

She fainted, right into the waiting arms of Kurenai.

Naruto blink in shock, before snickering as his plan came to fruition. "Heh heh, was wondering when that was gonna happen. It's pretty cute." The blonde said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as Kurenai and Neji glared at him. The looks simply didn't affect him, having received them his entire life, and he simply pocketed the cream before turning to Jiraiya.

"Enough of the cutesy crap gaki, we've got stuff to do. So get your rear in gear, and let's go." The Sannin huffed in annoyance. His annoyance stemmed from the fact that when he had tried to take notes on Naruto and Hinata's interaction, Kurenai had ripped his notebook out of his hands and tossed it to Kakashi, who set it on fire. The former simply hated perverts, while both refused to have their students be used for the Sannin's perverted book series, despite Kakashi being an avid fan. Jiraiya had lost nearly a week's worth of drawings and notes for Kami's sake, and that annoyed the crap out of him. So the irritable super-pervert simply turned and started strolling down the road, intent on covering a lot of ground during the day.

Naruto waved one last goodbye, before turning and hurrying after the retreating Toad Sage. Teams 8-10 quickly separated to begin their own days, while Kakashi and Sakura remained at the gate until Naruto disappeared from view.

"I wish he could have stayed." Sakura sniffed, saddened by the leaving of her otouto. "I just get the feeling that something really bad is going to happen to him." She looked over at Kakashi, who gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." The cycloptic jonin assured her. "After all, he is the number one most unpredictable knuckle-headed ninja. I'm sure he'll be back before you know it, and stronger than ever." Sakura smiled at his reassurance, before he placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her away. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you have some training to get to with Hokage-sama."

00000

Three years. He hadn't been here in three years.

Naruto stepped through the gates of his old home, ignoring the shocked looks from the guards as he passed. Jiraiya smirked at their expression while he kept pace with his apprentice. The blonde looked up at the Sannin, noticing the small margin between their heights, with a pleading look on his face. The old man sighed, before nodding.

Naruto grinned, before adjusting the bundle in his arms. He leapt up to the top of a nearby pole, being extremely careful while doing so, and gazed excitedly over his home.

"Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit." His deep voice said fondly, before smiling softly at the squeal that came from the bundle in his arms. He quickly took a deep breath, before shouting out for everyone to hear.

"Hey everyone! Naruto Uzumaki is back!"


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome Back

Konohagakure no Sato was peaceful and quiet underneath the morning sun. The civilians went about their business, children happily played in the streets and parks, and the shinobi were busy returning or embarking on missions, or training to get stronger and advance through the ranks. None of them were aware of the return of a pair of shinobi that were about to put Konoha on its ear. Well, at least it will be off its ass.

Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto stood atop the pole, looking out over the village. He smiled softly, recalling all the good times he had had here, shoving the unpleasant memories that tried to surface to the back of his mind. He shifted the bundle in his arms as it began to squirm, trying to get it comfortable. As he tended to it, he quietly took note of the fact that Tsuande's face was now carved upon the Hokage monument, and that other than that, the village had changed slightly, and that he would have to explore later. For now, he settled for remarking on the fact that his mother-figures face was carved into the mountain side.

"Heh, they finally put ole' baachan's ugly mug up eh? Good thing I don't have a view of the monument, otherwise you would be freaking out in the morning eh?" he snickered, looking loving down at the fidgety burden he was carrying.

Jiraiya chuckled as he gazed at the silhouette of his student. The village wasn't the only thing that had changed. Naruto had grown like a weed, both physically and mentally, and his newest challenge had definitely helped him grow by leaps and bounds.

The blonde was now far taller than he used to be. While once the second shortest of his generation at one hundred forty-seven centimeters (four feet, ten inches), he was now 179 centimeters (five feet, ten inches), nearly as tall as Kakashi.

Along with his change in height came a change in physique. Jiraiya had put the boy on a far healthier diet than simply eating ramen, and the results definitely showed. The days of Naruto being scrawny, almost unhealthily thin were long gone. He had an athlete's body, with toned muscles that weren't large nor small.

As Naruto turned to look at his sensei, grinning at the laughter he caused, Jiraiya nearly had a small heart attack at how similar to his father Naruto looked. Many other passer-by had a much more severe reaction, having not seen the blonde in three years.

The baby fat on Naruto's face that used to make him look cute in a boyish sort of way had been burned off by a harsh training regime and better diet. His jaw was now chiseled, and whisker marks were even more pronounced. His high cheekbones were revealed, and they complimented his brilliant blue eyes. His hair was shorter and messier than when he left, with the spikes mostly drooping haphazardly on his head. His now black headband held back the mess, having his hitai-ite transferred to it. To many of the passing people, and Jiriaya himself, it seemed like the Yondaime had been reborn with whisker marks and a shorter haircut.

The outfit didn't help either. Gone was the tacky and dangerous 'kill-me-now' orange jacket and pants. Now, Naruto wore tan pants that fit similarly to his old pair, just longer, over a pair of black shinobi sandaled boots. Just underneath the pants, since they were loose enough for people to see under, bandages came from the tops of his sandals, with dull gray greaves inscribed with intricate seals just barely visible. Above, a black belt was looped around his waist, with the supply pouch attached on the back right. On his right thigh he held the standard kunai holster, strapped on over a layer of white bandages.

His black shirt with his clan's spiral was replaced with a black, high-necked, zip-up turtle neck that was a fairly tight fit. The right sleeve was cleanly cut off, leaving one arm bare, while the other went down to his wrist. One his right arm, one could see a highly intricate seal extending from the top of his shoulder to midway down his bicep. A black fingerless glove covered his hand, and extended up to just underneath the elbow. The glove itself had a metal plate on the back, while a dull gray bracer with seals similar to his greaves was strapped to his forearm. His left arm had the bracer strapped over his sleeve, since his left glove ended at the wrist, just underneath the edge of his sleeve.

To top off his new outfit was a custom made coat. The coat itself was orange, since Naruto insisted that his shinobi outfit had at least some orange, with a high collar. The coat was sleeveless one the right, while the left went down to just above the elbow. A pair of dull brass button-like extension were placed just below the collar, midway down the torso, and right above the waist. These buttons were tied together with red string somewhat loosely, to prevent the coat from falling off. The left side of the coat extended down to mid-calf on the left side, while the right only went down to just below the waist. The hem, collar, and openings were all lined with black thread, with the bottom (regardlees of the length) and sides of the longer 'skirt' having black flames stitched along them. On the back, stiched in black lettering, were the kanji for "Konoha's Orange Hokage."

(A/N: If you want a reference, simply look at the picture used as the cover, except remove the right sleeve and right portion of the coat below the waist.)

Jiraiya shook himself out of his stupor as his apprentice landed in front of him, smirking at the dumbstruck expression on his face. "What's the matter Jiraiya-sensei? You look like you've seen a ghost!" The Uzumaki put on a fake concerned expression, knowing exactly what his teacher was staring at.

Jiraiya let out a low chuckle. "Very funny gaki." The Toad Sage gave him a small, proud smile. "I was just struck by how much you look like your father." He admitted, and was pleased to see the smirk on the blonde's face grow into a grin.

"Thanks Jiraiya-sensei, I had a feeling that was the reason." Naruto remarked. He started when Jiraiya let out a whoop, and started doing a variation of his introduction dance. Naruto stared at him, eyebrow twitching, for several moments before he had enough. "What the h- *cough* *cough* what are you doing?"

"My victory dance!" Jiraiya stated proudly. "Before I started training you, you were never that perceptive! Many thought you would never be anything more than an oblivious idiot, but I, the mighty and incredibly talented Jiraiya, have done the impossible!" The white-haired man finished his prancing, striking his final pose in front of Naruto.

The blonde's eyebrow was twitching faster, and a vein appeared in his forehead. The bundle in his left arm was squealing and giggling, which made him rein in his anger much quicker than he used to be able to. "Let's just go report in to baachan." The blonde stated curtly, indicating his annoyance, before turning on his heel.

Jiraiya followed after him, proud of his student for ignoring his baiting, while the sounds emitting from the bundle his student was carrying brought a smile to both their faces, with neither aware of the fact.

The pair settled for a regular walking pace, trying to soak in as much of the changes to the village as they could. There weren't many; a new bakery here, a weapons shop there, a new restaurant on the corner. But they still wanted to be as familiar with the area as possible, since they were both taught that knowing the battlefield was a key advantage. Granted, they didn't expect to be attacked in their own village, but the recent invasion, and Naruto's early life, made them consider every place as being potentially hostile.

As they approached the Hokage Tower, Naruto began to grow more and more nervous about how Tsunade would react to the news he was bringing, and the object he was carrying. Granted, Jiraiya had come around quick enough, but the Sannin had been present when he… acquired it. How would someone who had no idea if it was a potential threat or not react? Would she order him to give it up, or would she understand that-.

"Gaki, relax." Jiraiya reassured him, shaking Naruto out of his worries. "Everything's going to be fine. Tsunade is a reasonable, and intelligent, person. She'll hear us out before coming to any conclusions." Naruto nodded, his nerves somewhat assuaged, before the Toad Sage's next words completely broke the tension. "Besides, she'll probably be too drunk or hung over to try anything."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking up slightly to see his teacher's face. "It's not even 11 yet." Jiraiya simply nodded, his expression completely stoic. Both shinobi attempted to keep a straight face, before Naruto cracked. The blonde burst into laughter, with his teacher soon following.

Many people, the ones not openly staring at Naruto, immediately turned their gaze to the two shinobi. Most smiled at the laughing pair, but a few glared before returning to ignoring their existences. It a was telling reaction; most of the villagers were warming up to Naruto, while a few still clung to their previous beliefs that he was the Kyuubi re-incarnate.

The master and apprentice duo reigned in their mirth, before continuing their slow journey towards the Hokage Tower. On the way, many of the people raised their hands in greeting and prepared to call out to the pair, before stopping suddenly. The reaction was almost uniform; eyes slowly lighting up in recognition, hands raising to wave, mouths opening to shout a greeting, eyes slowly bulging out of their owner's skull, the hand freezing, mouth dropping open in shock. Aside from a few variations, and those who simply noticed _who _they were looking at before scowling, this was the scene that greeted the travelers as they walked through the village.

"What's up with everyone?" Naruto murmured, feeling awkward underneath the slack-jawed stares. "I know I look different, but is it really that big of a deal?" He muttered, playing with his package with his right hand while the left arm supported it. He was used to stares, having grown up hated and reviled in Konoha, but these were… different. As if they weren't directed at him…

JIraiya sighed, before bopping his student on the head. "You may be a lot stronger and smarter gaki, but you're still denser than a brick sometimes." The Sannin sighed again, ignoring the glare and mutterings of his student. "Well, if you actually understood what they were all looking at, then I would be worried." The glare intensified, before Naruto finally reached the end of his fuse.

"Baka sensei! What do you mean, 'if I actually understood'?!" Naruto shouted, finally giving in to his anger. Jiraiya gave him a goofy smile, before disappearing in a **Shunshin (Body Flicker)**. Naruto's burden began to squirm and wail, and he was instantly regretting shouting at his teacher. He knew the Toad Sage was baiting him, and that it would upset his most precious thing in the world, but sometimes he could help it.

He quickly stopped and cooed at the bundle in his arms, making reassuring noises as he held her closer to his chest. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, the crying tapering off into little sniffles. Naruto smiled as she looked up at him.

"Tou-san nto mad?" Manami Uzumaki asked, her blue eyes meeting those of her father. Little teardrops were still pooled in the corner of her eyes, and Naruto grinned as he wiped them away.

"No, your tou-san isn't mad." Naruto whispered to her softly. "Jiji was just being mean, so tou-san yelled at him. I'm sorry 'Nami-chan." Naruto grinned, giving his daughter a quick kiss on the forehead. The little girl giggled, before snuggling deeper into the crook of Naruto's left arm again. The blonde's grin shrunk, but the smile was still present as he stroked his daughter's long red hair. "Ok Nami-chan, let's go see your baachan."

With that, Naruto followed his teacher to the Tower, praying that he arrived before his teacher did something stupid or perverted.

00000

In the waiting room, sitting behind the secretary's desk, Shizune sighed in boredom. She had tons of paperwork ready for her mentor to get started on, but she definitely did not want to be the oone to wake her. Tsunade's drunken wake-ups weren't pleasant, and ever since she got the letter from Jiraiya stating that he and Naruto would be returning, she had gotten more and more irritable the longer she had to wait. The raven-haired kunoichi sighed again, as she prayed for Naruto and Jiraiya to get there soon.

Suddenly, a loud girlish scream and a massive crashing noise from the Hokage's office caused Shizune to rush to the door. She yanked it open, to see a fuming Tsunade with her fist extended, and a massive hole in the window and wall to the left of her desk. Shizune instantly flashed over to her with her senbon launcher at the ready, prepared to defend her mentor from any further attackers.

"Tsunade-sama, what's going on?!" Shizune shouted, trying to assess the situation. "Are you hurt? Where did your attacker go?!"

The busty Hokage simply grunted, before sitting back down with her head in her left hand. Her right reached over to the corner of her desk and grabbed a paper that had been sitting there all week, before stamping it with the seal of her office. Shizune was startled by her mentor's nonchalant demeanor, considering she was just attacked, but as she glanced at the paper she let out a breath and relaxed.

"So they're back?" Shizune asked hopefully, praying that she was right.

"Damn pervert…" Tsunade grunted, confirming her apprentice's suspicions.

Outside, Naruto shook his head in exasperation as he watched Jiraiya's form fly through the air. "Baka ero-sensei." The blonde muttered lowly, so his daughter wouldn't hear him. "Every single time, he always ends up getting hit. You think he would've learned by now, eh Manami-chan?" Naruto asked his daughter as he walked up the side of the tower.

The little red-head giggled happily, looking over her father's shoulder at the ground. As she heard her name, she turned her attention to his face and cocked her head quizzically. "Jiji go bye-bye?" She asked cutely, her blue eyes sparkling with curiousity.

Naruto nodded his head, smiling brightly. "That's right Nami-chan! You're a very smart girl!" Naruto praised, causing her to giggle and clap her hands joyfully.

Naruto reached the top of the tower, peeking over the edge to make sure Tsunade wasn't looking, before flipping over the edge. Manami squealed in delight, but instantly quieted as Naruto made a shushing motion with his hand. Listening for signs of angry ranting, and hearing nothing, the Uzumaki father took a deep breath and swung around the corner, striding through the entrance Tsunade graciously provided him. With Jiraiya's body.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised." Naruto chuckled, instantly getting Tsunade and Shizune's attention. "Jiraiya-sensei never could pass up an opportunity to grope a woman. Maybe now he'll figure out that doing it is a bad idea." The blonde grinned at the flabbergasted expressions on Tsunade and Shizune's faces, his prankster spirit relishing the surprise on their faces.

"M-Minato?" Tsunade stammered, convinced she was seeing a ghost. She was brought out of her stupor by the squeal of a happy Manami, as she enjoyed the funny faces on the people in front of her. Tsunade's eyes widened as she saw a baby version of her surrogate daughter, Kushina, in the arms of the Minato reincarnation. "Ku-kushina? Oh kami, I knew it! I died from alcohol poisoning!" Tsunade cried dramatically.

Naruto burst out laughing at Tsunade's hysterics and Shizune's statuesque shock, with Manami giggling happily at her father's laughter. "No baachan, but that's a pretty good guess." Naruto chuckled, getting a handle on his laughter. Manami was still giggling and fidgeting, but Naruto had a tight grip on her mid-section. He propped her into a sitting position in his arms, with his left supporting her and his right across her stomach. "Well, I'm back!" Naruto chirped. "Say hello to your baachan Manami-chan, and your Shizune-obachan. Tsunade-baachan, Shizune-neechan, this is my daughter Manami!"

The little red-head tilted her head, looking back and forth between Tsunade and Shizune. Tsunade and Shizune, who had just realized that they were looking at Naruto and were recovering from their shock, were thrown again at this new information. The two blinked owlishly at Manami, who returned the gesture, before screaming at the top of their lungs in unison.

"WHAT?!" The two women shouted, causing Naruto to recoil in surprise. Even though he had been somewhat expecting this kind of reaction, he still wasn't prepared for it. Tsunade was turning red with anger, and Shizune looked ready to murder. "I swear to god I'm going to kill that pervert! The closest thing I have to a son, and he turns him into as big a pervert as he is! And you!" Tsunade whirled around, stomping closer to Naruto. "Where's the mother? I swear, if you knocked up some girl then left her, I'll-"

"I suggest you hear the full story before you come to a conclusion Tsunade-sama." Naruto growled out, shielding a quivering Manami from Tsunade. The blonde looked deadly serious, and both women could feel the power and anger radiating off him. For a moment, they both would have sworn they saw his eyes turn red, but then it was gone, replaced by an icy blue.

Both women were shocked out of their anger by the simple fact that is was Naruto speaking to them this way, and that his eyes seemed so cold. The normally bright blue eyes that held such warmth had turned cold and hard. It was the look of a veteran shinobi, one that had power and experience. Both ladies nodded dumbly, and the cold eyes and oppressive aura radiating from Naruto disappeared.

Naruto smiled at them, flipping the switch back to his normal self, before moving over to one of the chairs. Sitting down, he transferred Manami from his arms to his lap, planting her firmly on his right leg. He gently bounced her up and down, while he waited for Tsuande and Shizune to get back to normal.

Tsunade recovered first, and moved to sit in the chair behind her desk. Shizune simply took up a position behind her mentor, eager to learn why and how Naruto had changed so much. Tsunade folded her hands in front of her face, narrowing her eyes at the blond playing with his daughter, before she decided to go with the obvious question first.

"It's great to see you gaki, but where in the he-" A glare from Naruto stopped her from finishing, and she amended her question before continuing. "Where did you get a daughter? Is she yours? Is the mother still alive? Do we know who she is?" Tsunade ceased her rapid-fire interrogation when Naruto held up his hand for silence. The simple gesture spoke volumes coming from him, considering how prone he was to exaggeration.

"Listen baachan, I would rather wait until Jiraiya-sensei gets here before I start explaining about 'Nami-chan. There will be less confusion and misunderstanding that way. Just know that yes, she is my biological daughter, and no, she has no mother." Naruto explained, before putting his hand back down.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed again, before she nodded. She leaned back in her chair, pushing the matter of the adorable red-head to the back of her mind before moving on to the next subject. "Fine. He better have answers for me, otherwise I'll make that punch look like a love tap. Now, what have you two been up two for the past six months? Jiraiya was sending reports up until then, but they suddenly stopped. Before that, you and Jiraiya requested that team for your trial mission, so what happened after that?"

Naruto shifted Manami, placing her farther back in his lap, before answering Tsunade. "Well, that lack of contact has to do with Manami-chan here. We had such a hard time taking care of her and upping my training that Jiraiya-sensei had no time to write any reports."

Tsunade's eyes bugged out, and Shizune looked at her quizzically. "You UPPED your training?! Gaki, I have no idea how you even survived the first year, let alone three, of the training you went through, and you're telling me you made it HARDER?! Are you insane?!" Tsunade was completely shocked, and even a tiny bit angry, that the blonde had gone through such extreme measures.

Naruto smiled at her reaction while grabbing Manami, who had been trying to scale Mount Naruto, before shaking his head. "Nah, we didn't make it harder baachan. Jiraiya-sensei just had me earning more stuff, like politics and general knowledge, along with childcare books and child psychology." Naruto took on a contemplative look, as if he were working on a difficult problem. "'Course, I was doing sage training at the same time, so I was almost too tired and busy to take care of and spend time with Manami-chan. Thank Kami for **Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones)**, neh? I spent almost ten years reading books with the amount of **Kage Bunshin **I had studying."

Shizune's mouth dropped, while Tsunade started banging her head on her desk. "Baka baka baka baka baka…." The blonde muttered, drawing Manami's attention. "Why didn't I think of that? **Kage Bunshin **for paperwork, it's so obvious!" the blonde sighed, finally ceasing her application of her forehead to her desk, while her apprentice and her guest looked on in amusement, with the latter's daughter simply cocking her head at her baachan's strange behavior.

"Alright, if you're done being a baka Tsunade-sama," cue death glare, "I suggest we examine Manami-chan. You did take her to the doctor's, right Naruto-kun?" Shizune asked apprehensively, hoping he was intelligent enough to have at least done that.

Naruto smiled at Shizune. "Of course neechan. We went to a hospital, with the reasons for said visit to be explained, and had her checked over. I have no idea what story Jiraiya-sensei made up for the doctors, but we had the full set of tests, vaccinations, and even a birth certificate made for Manami-chan. She's fine, and I intend to keep it that way."

Tsunade gave him an appraising look. "Looks like that mission report was accurate; you're a lot more mature and perceptive than you used to be, and you think farther ahead. You really want my job, don't you gaki?" She asked with a chuckle.

"You know it baachan!" Naruto exclaimed, lifting Manami up in the air to elicit a squeal from the baby. "Thanks to my **Kage Bunshin **and the motivation to learn from 'Nami-chan, I'm just that much closer to being Hokage!"

"The gaki's right." Jiraiya agreed, appearing at the hole in the wall. Tsunade gave him a glare for a greeting while Shizune shook her head. The Toad Sannin, looking non-the-worse for wear after his ordeal, merely rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Nice to see you too Tsunade-hime, Shizune."

"Jiraiya." Tsunade intoned, her voice quiet and deadly. "As great as it is that Naruto's training definitely wasn't a waste of time, I can't help but notice the fact that he has a daughter!" Tsunade shouted, slamming her hands on the desk.

Manami instantly got scared and started crying, while Naruto and Shizune glared at her, with the former comforting his daughter. The blonde Hokage had the grace to look chastened, but her glare towards her former teammates didn't lessen in the slightest.

Jiraiya instantly put on a serious look. He pulled out a piece of paper, before scribing a complex seal on it in the centerof the room. He took nearly three minutes to complete it due to its complexity, before he placed it on the floor. The Sannin flashed through a dozen hand-signs in a blur. As he reached the last, he channeled the gathered chakra into his hand and slammed it down on the seal. The sealing matrix engulfed the entire room, before fading.

"There," Jiraiya wiped off his hands, satisfied, "now we can talk in private." The Toad Sannin took the seat next to Naruto, looking to make sure that the seal spread over the opening his body had created, before turning to his former teammate and her assistant. "Now, before Naruto and I start telling you this story, you need to promise me you won't interrupt."

Tsunade folded her hands in front of her face, before nodding. Shizune followed her mentor's lead. "Of course Jiraiya-sama. But what is so important about Manami-chan that it needs to be kept secret?" The medic asked, watching the curious little girl follow a bug from outside around the room with her eyes.

Naruto answered her question for Jiraiya. "It's simple Shizune-neechan. The sixth-month-old who is my daughter, both biologically and legally, is the soul and consciousness of the Kyuubi." Tsuande and Shizune's eyes widened, before looking at the tiny girl in his lap. They looked back to his face, noted the stoic face, before turning to Jiraiya. The Toad Sage nodded, confirming Naruto's statement.

"But… how?" Tsunade asked, completely stunned. She was staring at the innocent looking baby girl that was smiling at everything, who was supposedly the mind and soul of the most powerful biju on the planet, and she found it impossible to connect the two. Shizune was having an equally difficult time processing this information, and accepting it as truth.

Naruto sighed, wanting to avoid bringing up the memories surrounding Manami's birth, but it looked like he had no choice. "Well, about six months ago, Jiraiya-sensei and I got separated by Itachi and Kisame, when some guy in an orange mask showed up."

_Flashback_

"_Go help Itachi Kisame." The masked man stated in a deep voice. "I will handle the extraction of the Kyuubi." _

_The ex-Kiri swordsmen shrugged, before leaping off to help his partner distract the Sannin. The man in the mask simply stared at Naruto, his single eye glowing a malicious red, before speaking to the blonde._

"_You cannot win Kyuubi. I am far too strong for you to handle, especially in your weakened state. Surrender the Kyuubi, and I will simply leave you alive when I extract him. Resist, and I will kill you the moment I have what I want." The man said simply, his Akatsuki robe fluttering from a soft breeze._

_Naruto glared at the man, panting and stifling his bleeding wounds, knowing he had no chance against him. He was obviously Kisame's superior, based on the way the shark-man accepted his orders without a single word of protest, and Naruto wasn't even at his level yet. He had given as good as he got during the fight with the ex-Seven Swordsmen, but he was still no match for the 'Tailless Biju'. Still, he wasn't going to simply lie down and give up his friend._

"_I won't let you have Kurama." The blonde growled. "All you people want to do is use him as a weapon! Well I won't let you!" He roared, asking the fox to help him save the two of them. Kurama eagerly complied, giving his host all the power he could handle._

_Naruto's eyes turned red and slitted, while red chakra poured out of him. His opponent did nothing as the Fox Mantle formed, with four tails springing out. Naruto remained in stage one, due to Kurama believing that their enemy couldn't suppress his chakra in this state. Naruto let out a roar, mirrored by Kurama, before he disappeared from sight._

_The man was slightly surprised, but not even remotely surprised enough for the jinchuriki to catch him off guard. Even if no one else would ever be able to track his speed, the man's eye was powerful enough for the task. The blonde flickered into normal sight right in front of him, a purple Rasengan formed in his right hand._

"_**RASENGAN!**__" He roared, shoving the rotating ball of energy into the Akatsuki member's gut. It plowed into his stomach, before the force became too great for him to remain standing. It swept him off his feet and into a cartwheeling spin, sending him and the Rasengan flying into the trunk of the tree, where he hit with enough force to break his spine._

_Or that would have happened, had the demonic Rasengan not phased through the man, along with Naruto himself._

_The blonde's face was a study in shock as he stumbled, off-balance from the lack of resistance, through the Akatsuki member, who seemed to be there, but really wasn't. His mind was stuck on the fact that he had actually went through someone, right up until the man's kick connected with the back of his head. _

_The force was astounding, and the distraction of being sent flying caused Naruto's Rasengan to dissipate. He slammed into the trunk of the tree upside down, back first, knocking the wind out of him. In the blink of an eye the man was upon him, flipping him right-side-up as he grabbed on to Naruto's throat. The masked man's grip was iron, and no amount of fighting would get him free. The strength of the fox was fading fast, due to his body being unused to using it even with Kurama cooperating, and because of the nature of his seal._

_With the breath being choked out of him, and the last vestiges of strength leaving his body, Naruto still fought, until the man looked into his eyes. Blue met red, and Naruto stopped struggling as he was put under the hypnotic gaze of the Sharingan._

"_You are weak. But rest in peace, and know that your death was in the name of peace." The man said in a reassuring tone, before placing his hands onto Naruto's seal. He lifted his shirt, and was about to place his hand on the seal, before a croak from Naruto stopped him._

"_Wh-who are y-you?" He rasped out, unable to get breath into his body. The man looked at him again, and his Sharingan spun again._

"_Madara Uchiha." He stated, a hint of pride in his voice, before reaching back to Naruto's seal. His Sharingan flashed again, and he twisted the seal clockwise._

_Naruto's world became a mass of pain. He felt like he had molten lava running through his chakra network, and that his very soul was being pulled out of him. He had no idea how long this continued for, before there was a sudden surge of energy. Whatever was being pulled out of him got severed, and the rest simply closed back in. He heard and explosion, and shouts that sounded like they were miles away, before everything went black._

_Flashback End_

"I was out of it for two weeks, before I woke up in a hospital." Naruto finished, looking at Jiraiya to fill in the missing parts.

The Toad Sage nodded. "I examined the seal. As it turns out, the man who claimed to be Madara was pulling out the Kyuubi in reverse; the mind first, then the soul, then the chakra. When whatever cut off the extraction process did its job, it didn't retrieve what had been lost. The process was also rather… explosive, and it actually injured Madara before he could use his phasing abilities."

"Interesting, but that doesn't explain why she's not a bloodthirsty monster." Tsunade interjected, gesturing to Manami. The little red-head was fast asleep in Naruto's arms, and the blonde glared at her for the comment. The blonde Hokage flinched at the anger she saw in his eyes.

Jiraiya spoke up before Naruto could retort, knowing the two could go back and forth all day. "I have a theory on that. My guess is that because the mind and soul were pulled out without sufficient chakra to manifest the Kyuubi's body, the little chakra it had did the next best thing. It let go of the memories that Kyuubi had, and most of its soul, and preserved what it could of both in a smaller body so it could survive. Since Naruto was the closest life-form, the body took his form, just female. Now, the old Kyuubi is gone, and in its place is Manami. And I have checked; she is fully human, and has normal chakra."

Tsunade thought it over, and realized her teammate was probably right. When it came to sealing, no one was better than he was, so she was inclined to trust his judgment. However, one thing was bugging her. "How do you know she's fully human, and has regular chakra? Where did you get this information?" She prodded.

"I got the DNA test done at a hospital; that's how we know she's Naruto's daughter. And remember the team I asked you to send for Naruto's evaluation?" Jiraiya asked, praying she was smart enough to see it. He was getting sick of explaining things, after doing three years of doing nothing but.

Tsunade thought back to a year ago, and instantly made the connection. "You asked for Team Guy. So Neji examined her chakra?" She queried, before sighing in relief at Jiraiya's nod. "Well, that makes things easier. Since she's a normal human, we can treat her as such while making up a fake background for her, and we can state that Naruto adopted her."

"No." Naruto cut in, surprising everyone. "I will not lie about her being adopted. Manami-chan is my flesh and blood, and I will not simply say she is adopted for convenience. If need be, I'll make up a fake story for a mother, but I won't refer to her as anything less than my biological daughter." As he finished his quiet rant, not wanting to wake the toddler, all three of the other occupants stared at him.

Jiraiya was the first to break the silence. "Well gaki, it's up to you. I thought it was a good idea, but she's your daughter, and you're the one who's going to get flak for knocking up a girl." Despite his words, the Toad Sage was immensely proud of his student. He was refusing to lie, and owning up to his (imagined) mistakes like a true man.

Tsunade simply nodded, albeit a little uncertainly, before addressing the next item on the 'Naruto's back' list. "Fine, but I'll need her birth certificate and such." A poof of smoke later, and the documents were on Tsunade's desk. Tsunade continued, waiting to find out how he did that as soon as she got her point across. "And Naruto? This is going to remain an S-Class secret, so you can't tell anyone Manami's true origins, and I mean _anyone, _without my say so. Understood?" At his nod, Tsunade simply gestured to the documents on her desk.

Naruto grinned cheekily at her, before answering her unasked question. "Storage seal on my wrist." He lifted his sleeve a little, showing the tattoo there. "I also have my birth certificate, letters from tou-san and kaa-san, and my inheritance." He continued, unaware of the bombshell he just dropped.

Tsunade's jaw was hitting the desk, and Shizune's hands were pressed against her heart and forehead. At their expressions, Naruto and Jiraiya laughed quietly, mindful of Manami, at the looks on the two women's faces.

Shizune recovered first, and she scowled at the quietly chuckling pair. "You two are such idiots. I swear, one more almost-heart-attack, and I will castrate you both." She threatened in a low voice, and was all the more intimidating because of it. The two men nodded vigorously, with Naruto careful not to jostle Manami, as Tsunade smirk at her apprentice's threat.

"Very nice Shizune." She complimented, and the brunette blushed slightly at the praise. The Slug Princess turned back to her guests, before continuing with her mental list. "Well, I guess that means I can tell you the real reason I'm giving you these keys." She tossed a set of keys to him. "These are the keys to your parents' home, along with your blood. It's been unsold for years, since no one could find the deed," another poof, and the document was in Naruto's hands, "so it's yours. Also, there's the issue of your rank. Although you left as a genin, I'm certain that, based on Jiraiya's reports, that you're jonin material. But I'll need to see those skills for myself, so I set up a little spar for you."

Tsunade gestured to Jiraiya, who got up and ripped the sealing tag off the center of the room. The opening to the outside was unblocked, and a familiar figure phased into view. Naruto's face lit up as he saw the gravity-defying silver hair of his jonin sensei.

Naruto walked over to the opening and stepped out quietly, making sure to keep Manami steady. Kakashi had his back to him, so he decided to have a little fun with him. He crept up on him, getting ready to snatch his precious book, when Kakashi's hand grabbed his outstretched one.

"Very good Naruto." Kakashi complimented, not taking his eye off his book. "I didn't even hear you until you started to reach for my book. That's definitely an improvement over standing in the middle of a field and challenging me one-on-one." Kakashi finally turned, his eye in its traditional u-shape, when he stopped dead at the sight of Manami.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, at least I tried. But I'm kinda handicapped here, so go easy on me Kakashi-sensei." The blonde grinned as his teacher who slowly stood up. "Oh yeah, Kakashi-sensei, meet my daughter Manami."

Kakashi's mind was in turmoil. Here was the short, goofy blonde that he once taught, standing in front of as a man. He looked exactly like his father, and he was only one or two centimeters shorter than himself. And, he was apparently a father.

"Da-daughter?" The jonin stuttered, his one eye wide. Naruto nodded, prepared for another scolding, since he couldn't tell the truth, but Kakashi's next actions blew that out of the water. "Alright Naruto! Only sixteen, and already gettin' some! So, where's the mother? Is she a beauty? Of course she is! You're my student of course! I'm so proud of you my boy!" Kakashi had a river of tears coming from his eye, and he slung an arm around his bewildered students shoulder. "We'll have to get a drink to celebrate my student becoming a man, and you'll have to introduce me to this beautiful girl of yours!" He proclaimed.

If Naruto wasn't choking under his father figures affection, then he would have been laughing at seeing him get so animated about something. Kakashi was always cool and laid-back, except for two things in life; women, and _Icha Icha_. And Naruto obviously lucked on the second, at least in Kakashi's eye.

"Ka-kashi-sen-se-I, can-t bre-at-he." Naruto wheezed, ignoring the chuckling in the background.

Kakashi quickly realized his mistake, and removed his arm from around Naruto's shoulder. "Sorry about that." He apologized, while his student attempted to regain his breathe. While Naruto recovered from his near suffocation, Kakashi examined the sleeping form of Manami. Nodding as he examined her, he whispered to Naruto. "If your daughter takes after her mother, than I bet she's a real beauty." He complimented, remembering another blonde who was close to him that a red-headed wife.

"She's dead." Naruto stated bluntly, refusing to meet Kakashi's gaze. "Childbirth was too much for her."

"Naruto…" Kakashi reached out for his student, putting a hand on his shoulder. "…I'm sorry. I had no idea, otherwise I wouldn't have-"

"It's fine." The blonde said abruptly, smiling to hide his pain. Kakashi knew he was hiding it behind his smile, but he had no idea that it wasn't the pain of losing someone. It was the pain of pointlessly lying to a loved one about something, something very important. "I'm over it Kakashi-sensei. Besides, I have a beautiful daughter to love now, so what is there to be sad about?"

The jonin examined him carefully, and seeing no signs of hidden sadness or pain, simply smiled back. "Alright Naruto, if you say so. Anyway, on to business. I'll be your sparring partner, yours and Sakura's, so meet us at Training Ground Seven in two hours. I'm certain you have some thing's to drop off at home, so that'll give you plenty of time to get unpacked and find a babysitter for little Manami-chan." With those parting words, Kakashi held his hand up in a half ram seal before disappearing in a 'poof' of smoke.

The loud noise and smoke woke Manami, who started to fidget and whine right away. "Tou-san, I'm hungwie!" She whined, looking up at him with her first technique, the **Puppy-Dog-Eyes no Justu**. Not even a heartless monster could resist her adorable blue orbs, and her overprotective and loving father was extremely susceptible to it.

"Okay 'Nami-chan, how about I take you to get your first taste of Ichiraku after we put our stuff away?" Naruto asked, a happy tone in his voice. He loved Ichiraku, and he was certain his genetically identical daughter would as well. She nodded happily, picking up on his mood, while he turned back to Tsunade and Jiraiya. "Is that okay?" He asked, hoping he was free.

Tsunade sighed. "What, I don't get to spend any more time with my son and brand-new granddaughter?" Naruto's face instantly looked elated, while at the same time crushed with guilt. Tsunade and Shizune giggled while Jiraiya flat out laughed as Naruto veered between the two extremes. "I'm kidding gaki. Go put your stuff away, and get Manami-chan some food. I'll watch her while you're showing me your skills so I can justify making you a jonin."

Naruto's grin outshone the sun, and he waved before turning and dropping over the side, with Manami squealing with delight as they fell. Tsunade sighed happily, before turning back to her desk. She gestured Shizune out of the room, before sitting down heavily behind her desk.

"The gaki's a real handful isn't he?" Jiraiya asked sympathetically, pulling out a bottle of sake and two drinking saucers. Tsunade simply nodded while pouring herself a cup. "Well, he's even worse than he used to be, so I hope you're ready 'kaasan'." Jiraiya snickered, while Tsunade simply sighed as she felt the sake burn going down.

"I'll bet." She agreed. "He may be smarter, and far stronger, than he used to be, but deep down he's still that clueless, lovable idiot. It's nice to see someone who can change so much, while still staying the same. No matter how much he grows, he'll always be that little knucklehead."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Yeah, that's for sure. At least you can be sure when you list him as your successor, instead of worrying whether or not your signing the village's death warrant." He commented, knocking back a saucer. "And he's actually an excellent father, even at sixteen. I've never seen him happier than when he's with Manami, and his training went even faster when she gave him a real reason to be strong."

Tsunade poured her fourth saucer down her throat, a small blush staining her cheeks. "Well, making me a grandmother this young makes me feel old, but at least he's happy. Maybe Hinata can help him out, be the mother, and snatch up my boy that way." She pondered, her thoughts turning to one of the girls she taught briefly.

Jiraiya let out a booming laugh, startling his teammate and nearly making her spill her sake. "Oh, I don't think that'll be a problem!" Jiraiya laughed. "The boy wouldn't even look at another girl when I tried to get him to branch out. All he kept talking about was 'Hinata this, Hinata that'. He's head over heels for her, and that's another reason he got so strong. So that he would be good enough for her and her family." Jiraiya chuckled, wiping some tears from his eyes, as Tsunade tried to stifle her giggles.

"So we have too people who are madly in love with one another, and they both have no idea?" Tsunade asked, and giggled as Jiraiya confirmed it. "Oh that is so cute. I can't wait to get some embarrassing pictures of my baby boy with his first love." She gushed, before laughing at the irony. "I can't believe I'm a grandmother while my adopted son hasn't even been on his first date yet. He'll make me gray before my time."

"I think its past time." Jiriaya snickered.

A fist replaced where his head was, and he was sent flying through the door in the back. He was embedded deep in the wall of the waiting room as Tsunade sat at her desk and rubbed her temple.

"Damn pervert." She muttered, downing her sixth shot.

00000

"So 'Nami-chan, you ready to have some of the best food in the world?" Naruto asked, tickling his daughter's belly.

"Yea yea!" She giggled happily, squirming to get away from her father's deft hands. Naruto had a firm hold on her though, so there was no escape for the little red-head. The giggling continued as the blonde walked with his source of joy down the main road, causing a repeat of the earlier reactions from those who hadn't seen the duo yet.

Unfortunately, the peace definitely wasn't going to last.

"Otouto? Is that you?" Haruno Sakura had heard the mutterings of his return, and she had finally found the blonde she called brother. She had seen a figure with blonde hair and dressed in orange while on her way down the main street, and connected the dots. Now, she was hoping the tall stranger really was her otouto, since she couldn't see his face.

Naruto froze, cursing himself for forgetting about his beloved neechan. Manami instantly sensed her father's distress, and she stopped squirming.

"Tou-san? Tou-san need potty?" She asked, mistaking his reaction for one of her common problems. Even if she couldn't use it, she still knew what the potty was, and what it entailed. Not bad for a six-month-old neh?

"TOU-SAN? Sorry sir, I thought you were someone-" Sakura began to apologize, only for her mouth to hit the floor as Naruto turned around.

"Hey neechan, it's great to see you again." Naruto said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Manami started squirming again, and Naruto instantly moved his hand back to steady her. "Yeah, it's me. Meet your mei, Manami-chan. 'Nami-chan, say hello to your Sakura-obachan!" Naruto's voice had some forced cheerfulness, whilehe was sweating about explaining his predicament on the inside.

Manami squealed and held her hands out to Sakura, screaming "Oba, oba!" She had picked up on some of the honorifics when Naruto would tell her about her 'Sakura-obachan' or 'Tsunade-baachan'. Sakura just sat there, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, before doing the only thing she could when confronted with a tall, mature-looking Naruto with a baby girl he called her niece.

She fainted.

00000

**A/N: Wow, this story is way more popular than either of my other stories. Glad you guys like it so much. So I'm gonna try to keep a constant update rate going on these, at least once a week, so don't expect one every two days like the last two. But I promise; I will give you guys at least one chapter a week. My other story is still on hold, considering I have almost no inspiration for it, but that's life I guess. Anyway, hope this chapter cleared up some things about Manami's origins, and any other questions or holes you might spot, just drop a review for. Or you can just review to be awesome, that would be great too.**

**Sakura fainting? Has the world gone mad? Nope, but I'm pretty sure I have. Stay tuned to puzzle out her reaction.**


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